March 2026
Why Your Leadership Pipeline Might Be Leaking
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Last month, we introduced you to Maria, the accidental leader. Promoted because she was excellent, then left to figure out a fundamentally different job with none of the tools she actually needed. If that story felt familiar, you’re not alone. And if it made you quietly wonder, “Do we have a few Marias in our pipeline right now?” That’s exactly the right question to be sitting with.
Most organizations do have Marias in the making. Not because they aren’t paying attention, but because the systems they’re relying on weren’t designed to see what actually matters.
Last month, we talked about the difference between performance and readiness. This month, we’re going one level deeper: how do you actually see readiness? How do you move beyond gut feel, tenure, and likability, and get a real, honest picture of whether your leaders are prepared for what’s next?
The answer is assessment. And most organizations are underusing it dramatically.
| | President, Turknett Leadership Group | |
Readiness Reimagined: How to Build a Change-Seeking Culture
Jeff Pacheco | Harvard Business Review
For years, “change-readiness” has been a strategic imperative. Organizations have worked to cultivate cultures that adapt quickly and execute decisively. But in today’s fast-moving, AI-driven world, readiness is no longer enough.
Adaptability is still essential—but at a greater speed. The next evolution is already underway: building a “change-seeking” culture. Unlike reactive, change-ready organizations, change-seeking organizations proactively scan for opportunity, challenge assumptions, and move early—before disruption demands it.
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We are thrilled to announce our next live virtual event!
Angie Kolar oversees Norfolk Southern Railway’s business ethics and compliance functions, playing a pivotal role in enhancing its safety culture, regulatory oversight, and operational integrity across one of the nation’s leading railway networks. Join us for an in-depth discussion focused on corporate and individual integrity, ethics, and responsibility to the safety of everyone touched by its operation.
Listen in as our speaker shares their unique experiences and insights.
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Facilitated by Anne Quiello, M.S., PCC
Senior Consultant & Host of Women in Leadership
| | It's Not Too Late to Join! | |
SOAHR Wicked Panel at HR Live
We had another wonderful HR Live breakfast event last week on Making Business a Force for Good! Thank you to everyone who attended, to our HR partners who made it happen, and to our speaker, Amber Selking!
Even more wonderful was the run-in we had with our SOAHR panelists, Teela Jackson and Polina Zlatev! That's right, we're hosting another panel at this year's SOAHR, titled "Defying Gravity: Courageous Leadership Lessons from Wicked".
Make sure to register before the deadline and come see us at our Wicked booth and panel! Link to register: https://www.shrmatlanta.org/annual-conference-registration/
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In-Person Women in Leadership
This month, we had our first in-person Women in Leadership session of 2026. In the bleary Atlanta morning on the 49th floor of the Peachtree Tower, the energy and connection were immediately palpable.
Our speaker, Serena Sacks-Mandel, gave us a heartbreaking and simultaneously heartwarming presentation on her journey, both in leadership and in life, and left with us a simple message: it's always about the people. Centering the people in your life and work, doing right by them and with them, is one of the most important things we can do to build our resilience and strengthen our empowerment. Hearing Serena Sacks-Mandel speak about framing your narrative and owning your power was a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about titles or achievements; it’s about how we choose to interpret our experiences and use them to move forward.
We at Turknett have spent more than two decades creating a space where women leaders can connect, learn, and elevate one another across industries. And you can feel that mission in every conversation and every new connection made around the table.
Thank you to our WIL partners who make it possible for us to inspire, invigorate, and inform women leaders each month.
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Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts
Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential.
When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work.
But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start.
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Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
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